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St Paul: Letter to the Hebrews
Hebrews 6 Verses 1 to 20 (Revised Standard Version)
[1] Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity
not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God
[2] with instruction about ablutions
the laying on of hands
the resurrection of the dead
and eternal judgment.
[3] And this we will do if God permits.
[4] For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened
who have tasted the heavenly gift
and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit
[5] and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come
[6] if they then commit apostasy
since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt.
[7] For land which has drunk the rain that often falls upon it
and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated
receives a blessing from God.
[8] But if it bears thorns and thistles
it is worthless and near to being cursed; its end is to be burned.
[9] Though we speak thus
yet in your case
beloved
we feel sure of better things that belong to salvation.
[10] For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love which you showed for his sake in serving the saints
as you still do.
[11] And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness in realizing the full assurance of hope until the end
[12] so that you may not be sluggish
but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
[13] For when God made a promise to Abraham
since he had no one greater by whom to swear
he swore by himself
[14] saying
Surely I will bless you and multiply you.
[15] And thus Abraham
having patiently endured
obtained the promise.
[16] Men indeed swear by a greater than themselves
and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation.
[17] So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose
he interposed with an oath
[18] so that through two unchangeable things
in which it is impossible that God should prove false
we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us.
[19] We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul
a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain
[20] where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf
having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchiz'edek.